What I've noticed is that it's really easy to be extremely conservative or liberal when you don't pay taxes, mom and dad cover all of your expenses and you've got no real grounding with how the world actually works as opposed to the base idealistic tendencies of politics, policing, race relations and economics.

Ralph_SwaggumWhat I've noticed is that it's really easy to be extremely conservative or liberal when you don't pay taxes, mom and dad cover all of your expenses and you've got no real grounding with how the world actually works as opposed to the base idealistic tendencies of politics, policing, race relations and economics.

this actually makes sense. I've talked to people who are like "vote Bernie/ Hillary and college is free" and then I have to explain to them that nothing is free and there's this thing called taxes. Most kids don't have jobs and pay taxes like I do haha.

No it's not a fucking trend. Changing your political views based on current events isn't a trend. It's Politics.

Politics are lame. I have no affect on the outcome of things so I'm not going to devote a second of my life to worrying about who wins.

Yo I go to school in portland OR and you get shot down for saying anything other then a bernieism

It's more of a disease really. Highly contagious among undeveloped minds.

There have almost always been the demos and the repubs, nothing new there. There is a ton more media coverage with this election than in the 3 as well, that may seem like a lot more view points are out there to be heard. It is also an election that a lot of the younger generation feels like they may actually get a voice in! Party for the people.

PringlePolitics are lame. I have no affect on the outcome of things so I'm not going to devote a second of my life to worrying about who wins.

You do affect the outcome. Only slightly, but you do. And if you are politically aware and stay up to date with policies, laws, campaign platforms, etc, you should vote.

Doesnt the old saying go "if you're young and conservative you don't have a heart, if you're old and liberal you don't have a brain"

.lenconthis actually makes sense. I've talked to people who are like "vote Bernie/ Hillary and college is free" and then I have to explain to them that nothing is free and there's this thing called taxes. Most kids don't have jobs and pay taxes like I do haha.

Yeah I'm still in my early twenties and a lot of people like Bernie because his ideas are good, they just don't understand that we can't just make college free, etc. A lot of these people will "Vote for Hillary because she's a woman" which is a terrible reason to vote for someone. Another issue with our generation is the whole instant gratification issue. Immediately after gay rights became equal, there were people trying to push transgender rights through. That kind of sweeping change takes time. Politics and bureaucracy move super fucking slow...all the time.

I live and work in upstate NY and the city is pretty...violent. A lot of the kids I went to college with don't get that it's not the police, and "harsh" drug/crime laws that cause the violence. It's the utter lack of communities taking advantage of social services and the whole "don't be a snitch" mentality. I work with guys that come from those neighborhoods. It takes at least two months to get these into a "working" mentality where they will do their job the right way and complete all their assigned tasks. They don't get jobs until they've been caught hustling too much and are out of jail.

Someone gets shot? You don't talk to the police and tell the cops it was Ryquell or Tyler who killed Ben.

Then these people turn around and bitch the police don't do shit.

Which in turn feeds into the whole anti police/the government sucks MOAR GOVT mentality found among the kids who grew up and have never known real violence.

No one wants to actually solve problems, they just like to yell. Especially young people right now.

apologies for the longish rant

SteezMcGeeYou do affect the outcome. Only slightly, but you do. And if you are politically aware and stay up to date with policies, laws, campaign platforms, etc, you should vote.

The president and congress hears every request and does everything they possibly can do to achieve them. Yeah fucking right. They work when they please and do what the please regardless of what the vast majority of people think. 2 party system is fucking retarded.

7springsprodThe president and congress hears every request and does everything they possibly can do to achieve them. Yeah fucking right. They work when they please and do what the please regardless of what the vast majority of people think. 2 party system is fucking retarded.

Vote in your local elections. Any type of change starts small. Your local elections are just as important. Look at Maine, they've got a batshit retard for Governor and it turns out 62% off the residents didn't even want him as governor.

If just a few more people had voted for the leader of their state, they may not have a kook as governor and instead someone who reflects the values of the current majority of it's residents.

No. Your lack of self-awareness and perspective is only making you think this way. The majority of high school and college age people have been liberal leaning long before you got to high school. You just can't realize/recognize this because, well, you're only just in high school now and haven't existed long enough to know this isn't a trend.

Ralph_SwaggumNo one wants to actually solve problems, they just like to yell. Especially young people right now.

This has been young people always, not just right now.

You also are ignoring the fact that most young people aren't in a position to do much to solve problems apart from raising awareness for the problem they want to solve, which, perhaps incorrectly, often involves a lot of yelling.

It seems inconsistent to criticize people for wanting instant gratification (or, in other words, to solve problems too quickly), then to turn around and criticize people for not wanting to solve problems. Which one is it?

.lenconI'm 100% serious. I know there are a lot of liberals and the have justifications, but I'm currently in a high school English class and were having the classic politics discussion. I'm literally the only person who isn't die hard liberal in here, and I guarantee I'm the only one who does research on the election and doesn't rely of Twitter or Facebook.

So NS, is being liberal like a new trend for highschoolers and people in college? I mean they have no good arguments and it's driving me crazy how stupid they are.

Also just want to say I'm not attacking liberals, it's just amazing how many young adults I see now days that don't do any research and are liberal.

How can you possibly associate "being liberal" with "not doing research" and/or "having no good arguments"? I don't like to associate myself with political ideals and rather side with whatever I believe in on individual issues, independent of polital party, but I've found lately that people who describe themselves as conservative (especially ultra conservative) are generally whites with a high school education (if that) who automatically side with tradition and don't accept new, more realistic and fair, ideas. I mean Trump kicked a guy out of a rally recently for WEARING A TURBIN, and people cheered. Like how the fuck is that ok???

.lenconthis actually makes sense. I've talked to people who are like "vote Bernie/ Hillary and college is free" and then I have to explain to them that nothing is free and there's this thing called taxes. Most kids don't have jobs and pay taxes like I do haha.

lmao!

Luckily I live in Germany and here is college for EVERYONE for free. And yes it is paid with our taxes. We even pay the college for foreigners and who cares? Isnt it great that uni is for free? Why shouldnt everyone profit of it?

Tbh I am sooo happy that we have free education for everyone. You can just try so many different subjects on uni without caring all the time of how much it will cost. Just spend some intersting years on uni and try to find the subject that suits best for you. I.e. my plan is trying ethnology at first, if I dont like it I am going to switch to Geography or Scandinavian cultures.

Well imo totally stupid that you have to pay for education.

(Austria is almost for free, Poland and Czech as well and I think unis in Scotland too)

*my opinion*

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32821678

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/10/10/germany_college_is_free_there_even_for_foreign_students_why.html

http://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/student-finance/how-much-does-it-cost-study-germany

(Before 2014 you had to pay a fee of around 500 bucks a year.)

Ralph_SwaggumYeah I'm still in my early twenties and a lot of people like Bernie because his ideas are good, they just don't understand that we can't just make college free, etc.

I'd vote for Bernie because he is doing everything he can to overturn "Citizens United" and get big money out of politics... Plus the platform he's running based on policies he's been pushing his entire political career. Most politicians these days just go wherever they think the vote is.

And why couldn't education (at public universities) be free? At the very least it should be extremely subsidized (especially for degrees that don't pay well but benefit society like teachers and social workers).

Instead we have a youth that is either poorly educated or have severed debt. Knowledge is an upstream investment that you can't put a value on. For a fraction of the defense budget we could tremendously improve our education system.

PS: I'll pay about $30,000 dollars in taxes this year, so don't try to pull that card on me.

cobra_commanderIt's more of a disease really. Highly contagious among undeveloped minds.

Ironic.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/millennial-media/201304/do-racism-conservatism-and-low-iq-go-hand-in-hand

I think so, 75% of my high school is pro Sanders because the politically incline kids like him for the whole free college.

I look at it this way, if youre not making 350k and youre a republican. you are dumb

This coming from a very liberal 17 yo: it seems that the vast majority of young people are extremely liberal or conservative. they tend to gravitate toward the extremes. it also appears that most of them have no idea what the hell they are talking about. it goes both ways so before calling liberals stupid and saying they have no good arguments, realize that young conservatives do that the same amount, if not more.

cobra_commanderIt's more of a disease really. Highly contagious among undeveloped minds.

YoungDaphDoesnt the old saying go "if you're young and conservative you don't have a heart, if you're old and liberal you don't have a brain"

but like the smarter you are the more likely you are to be liberal??? lolololololol

http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1968042,00.html

Its not free college. Its free, 2 year associate programs. That is a big difference. People are stupid.

S.J.Wbut like the smarter you are the more likely you are to be liberal??? lolololololol

http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1968042,00.html

Wait. Did you actually read what you just posted?

"Kanazawa's paper shows that more-intelligent people are more likely to say they are liberal...Kanazawa found that more-intelligent GSS respondents (as measured by a quick but highly reliable synonym test) were less likely to agree that the government has a responsibility to reduce income and wealth differences. In other words, intelligent people might like to portray themselves as liberal. But in the end, they know that it's good to be the king"

.MASSHOLE.Wait. Did you actually read what you just posted?

"Kanazawa's paper shows that more-intelligent people are more likely to say they are liberal...Kanazawa found that more-intelligent GSS respondents (as measured by a quick but highly reliable synonym test) were less likely to agree that the government has a responsibility to reduce income and wealth differences. In other words, intelligent people might like to portray themselves as liberal. But in the end, they know that it's good to be the king"

They still prescribe as liberals though? This isn't about the finite details of fiscal conservative vs liberal vs libertarian, etc,etc. It's just about what people describe themselves as.And the smarter you are the more likely you are to describe yourself as liberal.

S.J.WThey still prescribe as liberals though? This isn't about the finite details of fiscal conservative vs liberal vs libertarian, etc,etc. It's just about what people describe themselves as.And the smarter you are the more likely you are to describe yourself as liberal.

Well then the methodology is rather flawed. If I call myself conservative (fiscally) but subscribe to socially liberal policies, am I no different than a liberal beyond the label? I fall in that grey area but according to that methodology I would be "less intelligent"

.MASSHOLE.would be "less intelligent"

well you said it, not me

S.J.Wwell you said it, not me

Merely pointing out the flawed methodology of your resource. One that actually refutes your points seeing as you did not even read it to understand what it said.

7springsprodThe president and congress hears every request and does everything they possibly can do to achieve them. Yeah fucking right. They work when they please and do what the please regardless of what the vast majority of people think. 2 party system is fucking retarded.

When did I say the government listens to you directly? Never. However I did say that your vote counts, but only in the slightest. Basically what I was trying to say is if you truly stand behind what a party believes in and what they do, use your right to vote and go vote. And of course they do what they want regardless of what people think. The public opinion on an issue is way more likely to change than the opinion of the government within a 4 year term. As the other guy said, the government moves slow. Yes it would be sick if this all moved faster and smoother, but with the current system in place in the US its not gonna happen so easy, or at all.

I could go on longer, but I need to get sleep because I'm skiing tomorrow.

BogsNo. Your lack of self-awareness and perspective is only making you think this way. The majority of high school and college age people have been liberal leaning long before you got to high school. You just can't realize/recognize this because, well, you're only just in high school now and haven't existed long enough to know this isn't a trend.

this. nothing new.

fab02lmao!

Luckily I live in Germany and here is college for EVERYONE for free. And yes it is paid with our taxes. We even pay the college for foreigners and who cares? Isnt it great that uni is for free? Why shouldnt everyone profit of it?

Tbh I am sooo happy that we have free education for everyone. You can just try so many different subjects on uni without caring all the time of how much it will cost. Just spend some intersting years on uni and try to find the subject that suits best for you. I.e. my plan is trying ethnology at first, if I dont like it I am going to switch to Geography or Scandinavian cultures.

Well imo totally stupid that you have to pay for education.

(Austria is almost for free, Poland and Czech as well and I think unis in Scotland too)

*my opinion*

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32821678

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2014/10/10/germany_college_is_free_there_even_for_foreign_students_why.html

http://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/student-finance/how-much-does-it-cost-study-germany

(Before 2014 you had to pay a fee of around 500 bucks a year.)

do you know what the tax is on folks to allow for a free university system?

How are you supporting yourself during your university years? from my experience, tuition was only about half the cost of college (room and board, books, etc).

Maybe not a trend, but it is certainly the popular thing to do and I think a lot of people who are undecided are pushed to be liberal because of it. At the high school I go to, the debate club always has like 2 people defending the more right wing idea and the rest of the school basically trying to lynch them.

californiagrownthis. nothing new.

do you know what the tax is on folks to allow for a free university system?

How are you supporting yourself during your university years? from my experience, tuition was only about half the cost of college (room and board, books, etc).

In Germany we have a progressive income tax:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Germany#/media/File:Income_Tax_Germany_2010.png

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Germany#Income_tax

I am not really into the American tax system, because I dont live there and was never really interested in it, but it seems different:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_States#Federal_income_tax_rates_for_individuals

I guess we have to pay a little bit more, but thats definitely worth offering everyone a free higher education. But as you can see it totally depends on your income how much you re paying.

Buying books? Yeah either I rent them in the library, buy them used or buy the ones, which are hard to get. Living? Despite rent its cheaper than the US. Books etc. are around 250 bucks a year. You just have to know where to buy them

What do you mean with "room and board"? Sry didnt found an explanation for it :/

fab02In Germany we have a progressive income tax:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Germany#/media/File:Income_Tax_Germany_2010.png

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_Germany#Income_tax

I am not really into the American tax system, because I dont live there and was never really interested in it, but it seems different:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_tax_in_the_United_States#Federal_income_tax_rates_for_individuals

I guess we have to pay a little bit more, but thats definitely worth offering everyone a free higher education. But as you can see it totally depends on your income how much you re paying.

Buying books? Yeah either I rent them in the library, buy them used or buy the ones, which are hard to get. Living? Despite rent its cheaper than the US. Books etc. are around 250 bucks a year. You just have to know where to buy them

What do you mean with "room and board"? Sry didnt found an explanation for it :/

yeah, my bad. Room & Board = food and rent.

I wish there was a way to see what percentage of Germany's tax rate went to tuition. Because right now, If i was in gernmany my taxes woiuld be increased by almost 75%, but i am well aware that the increased tax rate accounts form many other socialized services.

America will have to pay a higher income tax for probably 20 years before we start seeing the economic benefit. Unfortunatley, people are too shortsighted to do that, and opportunistic politicians will play on peoples fear of government taking more of their money.

If you're making bank, i cant hurt you to pay A little extra. Consider it a cost of doing business.

japanadaIf you're making bank, i cant hurt you to pay A little extra. Consider it a cost of doing business.

I am conflicted on that.

On the one hand, i feel as though the most well off among us should help ensure that those worse off are not suffering. And the most well off usually have the most resources, and intelligence/acumen etc to maintain and grow their wealth so taking away more of their money in taxes isnt as risky a proposition as taking away the small percentage if income in the form of taxes from someone who works seasonally and sometimes struggle sto pay rent, ya know? Holy runon sentence!

But on the other hand, should we be punishing smart, talented, hard working people for their successes? It seems authoritarian and parental for an entity to force a person to give up large chunks of rightfully earned profit each year... for "protection" and redistribute it to people and programs you do not support.

would a better solution be to offer large tax incentives to the wealthy for donating to college scholarship funds, whilst simultaneously raising everyones taxes a small amount for the next 20-30 years to the point where it eventually covers all university tuition? the rich now pay for tuition more directly than Federal loans can, cutting out the middle man, which might help to even out the decrease in taxes the govt recieves from the rich right now, but the student still gets the same monetary benefit.

IDK. High thoughts to change the world, right?

I'm voting for Trump because I can

don't forget about the primaries kids, they might just matter this year

Didn't read replies in the thread but...

Ever heard this?:

"If You Are Not a Liberal at 25, You Have No Heart. If You Are Not a Conservative at 35 You Have No Brain"

Didn't read replies in the thread but...

Ever heard this?:

"If You Are Not a Liberal at 25, You Have No Heart. If You Are Not a Conservative at 35 You Have No Brain"

NikolausThis coming from a very liberal 17 yo: it seems that the vast majority of young people are extremely liberal or conservative. they tend to gravitate toward the extremes. it also appears that most of them have no idea what the hell they are talking about. it goes both ways so before calling liberals stupid and saying they have no good arguments, realize that young conservatives do that the same amount, if not more.

This is also coming from a person who drinks "4 or 5 GALLONS of water a day" so this proves my point that liberals are not too sharp

Generally, research leads to the support of more 'liberal' policies. Evidence based policy and conservatism don't really mesh.

CanadianfreerideGenerally, research leads to the support of more 'liberal' policies. Evidence based policy and conservatism don't really mesh.

Lol wut?

Liberal view: 'Transgenderism is normal, and we should support those who undergo sex changes'

Research: Transgenderism is a 'mental disorder'- Paul McHugh, Johns Hopkins Psychiatrist. 'No robust evidence that gender reassignment surgery is clinically effective'- University of Birmingham ARIF

I don't really have time to write more before I go skiing, but the reason the right wing and left wing still exist is because there is evidence and logic supporting both sides. The things that are constantly in debate are gray areas. To say that there is no evidence based policy in conservative ideas is incredibly closed minded. I know I'm opening a huge can of worms with this post, but whatever, its the internet.

Dear God, just because someone is conservative does not mean they are automatically voting for trump. I'm so tired of people bitching about other parties and why they suck, and I hate that people won't form their own fucking ideas and just jump on the bandwagon. We can say that one party is killing America but what it comes down to is that people are too fucking lazy to do their research and then all everyone does is bitch about a president that they voted for. I don't care what party you back just think for yourself and if you can represent your opinion with logical reasons I won't have a problem.

I'm done with my rant now. If I offended you... Good!

CabbyArrantDear God, just because someone is conservative does not mean they are automatically voting for trump. I'm so tired of people bitching about other parties and why they suck, and I hate that people won't form their own fucking ideas and just jump on the bandwagon. We can say that one party is killing America but what it comes down to is that people are too fucking lazy to do their research and then all everyone does is bitch about a president that they voted for. I don't care what party you back just think for yourself and if you can represent your opinion with logical reasons I won't have a problem.

I'm done with my rant now. If I offended you... Good!

offended someone? you wrote a paragraph that said nothing. It was a waste of fucking space.

It's not just a youth thing, it's a generational thing. Historically each subsequent generation is more liberal then the last.

No matter what happens the ideas that seem radical now will probably be common place in 10 years or so. At least that's how it works up here in Canada.

I think in America the system has been rigged to support conservative ideas. Make education extremely exclusive and elitist, create a cult around capitalism, and promote a culture of division.

It's all very simple. The ideas Bernie Sanders promotes aren't very radical at all ( heck most of them are American ideas older then we are). I just think the American people need to stop being manipulated by capitalists.

MLBIt's not just a youth thing, it's a generational thing. Historically each subsequent generation is more liberal then the last.

No matter what happens the ideas that seem radical now will probably be common place in 10 years or so. At least that's how it works up here in Canada.

I think in America the system has been rigged to support conservative ideas. Make education extremely exclusive and elitist, create a cult around capitalism, and promote a culture of division.

It's all very simple. The ideas Bernie Sanders promotes aren't very radical at all ( heck most of them are American ideas older then we are). I just think the American people need to stop being manipulated by capitalists.

which of bernies ideas are your referring to?

cobra_commanderIt's more of a disease really. Highly contagious among undeveloped minds.

YoungDaphDoesnt the old saying go "if you're young and conservative you don't have a heart, if you're old and liberal you don't have a brain"

I know these are more jokes than anything, but if you actually look at the statistics (which are easily available) then it shows very clearly that the more educated you are the more likely you are to lean to the political left.

Also thinking liberalism is a trend is more of a trend than being liberal. Liberalism has been around as long as conservatism and has always had just as large a following

Sometimes I forget about the bubble I live in. I live in MN and hang out with a lot of people with secondary degrees and work in academia. Holy shit a lot of them are liberal. no kidding.

I also work a blue collar job where we interact with unions. Guess what they're liberal too.

I went to school for business and worked in a business development center and there was quite a bit of conservatism in that environment. Go figure.

I don't unfriend people on Facebook I disagree with because I like to remember that there is more outside my bubble.

californiagrownwhich of bernies ideas are your referring to?

Tax reform, Wall Street reform, debt free/tuition free college, Medicare for all.....etc.

Those seem like pretty radical ideas to the people of the United States.

freewillieYo I go to school in portland OR and you get shot down for saying anything other then a bernieism

You from Lincoln High?